Wheel holder assembly for shoe

ABSTRACT

A wheel holder assembly includes a mounting frame fixedly mounted inside one bottom hole of the sole of a shoe, a wheel holder frame turned about a shaft in the mounting frame to hold a wheel between a received (the non-operative) position and an extended (the operative) position, a torsional spring adapted to support the wheel holder frame in the extended position, and a spring-supported, press pin-controlled locking device adapted to lock the wheel holder frame between the received position and the extended position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a wheel holder assembly for shoe and, more particularly, to such a wheel holder assembly that can be alternatively set between the received (non-operative) position and the extended (operative) position, enabling the shoe to be served as a roller skate or a regular shoe as desired.

[0002] A conventional roller skate is comprised of a sole plate, a boot fixedly mounted on the top sidewall of the sole plate, wheels pivoted to the bottom sidewall of the sole plate, and a toe stop fixedly fastened to the bottom sidewall of the sole plate near the front side. This structure of roller skate is functional. However, because the wheels are not collapsible, this structure of roller skate cannot be served as regular shoes for walking.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention has been accomplished to provide a wheel holder assembly for shoe that can be alternatively set between the received position and the extended position, enabling the shoe to be alternatively served as a roller skate or a regular shoe. The wheel holder assembly comprises a mounting frame fixedly mounted inside one bottom hole of the sole of a shoe, a wheel holder frame turned about a shaft in the mounting frame to hold a wheel between a received (the non-operative) position and an extended (the operative) position, the wheel holder frame having two parallel positioning lugs respectively pivoted to the shaft in the mounting frame, the positioning lugs each having a first retaining notch and a second retaining notch, a torsional spring adapted to support the wheel holder frame in the extended position, and a locking device adapted to lock the wheel holder frame between the received position and the extended position. The locking device comprises a rod member, the rod member having a fixed end riveted to one sidewall of the mounting frame and a free end, a barrel axially movably coupled to the free end of the rod member and moved relative to the rod member between the locking position where the barrel is forced into engagement with one of the first retaining notch and second retaining notch of one of the positioning lugs of the mounting frame, and the unlocking position where the barrel is disengaged from the retaining notches of the positioning lugs of the mounting frame, a spring member mounted on the rod member and supporting the barrel in the locking position, and a press pin pivoted to one pivot hole on one sidewall of the mounting frame and fixedly connected to one end of the barrel for pressing by the user to move the barrel from the locking position to the unlocking position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004]FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a wheel holder assembly according to the present invention.

[0005]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the wheel holder assembly according to the present invention.

[0006]FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

[0007]FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 but showing the press pin pressed inwards, the barrel pushed axially inwards against the spring member.

[0008]FIG. 5 is an applied view of the present invention, showing two wheel holder assemblies installed in the respective bottom holes of the sole of a shoe and locked in the received (non-operative) position.

[0009]FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5 but showing the wheel holder assemblies respectively locked in the extended (operative) position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0010] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, a wheel holder assembly 2 is respectively installed in each of the bottom holes 11 of a shoe's sole 1. The wheel holder assembly 2 is comprised of a mounting frame 21, a locking device 22, a shaft 23, a torsional spring 231, a wheel holder frame 24, and a wheel 25. The mounting frame 21 is a substantially U-shaped frame fixedly fastened to the inside of one bottom hole 11 of the sole 1, having pairs of through holes 211 symmetrically provided at two downwardly extended parallel sidewalls thereof for the mounting of the locking device 22 and the shaft 23. The locking device 22 is comprised of a rod member 221, a barrel 222, a spring member 223, and a press pin 224. The rod member 221 has one end riveted to one through hole 211 at one downwardly extended sidewall of the mounting frame 21, and the other end coupled to the barrel 222 by a slip joint for enabling the barrel 22 to be axially moved relative to the rod member 221 within a limited distance. The press pin 224 is axially fixedly connected to one end of the barrel 22 and inserted into one through hole 211 at one downwardly extended sidewall of the mounting frame 21. The spring member 223 is mounted on the rod member 221, having one end fixedly connected to the rod member 221 and an opposite end stopping at one end of the barrel 222 remote from the press pin 224. The spring member 223 imparts a pressure to the barrel 222, causing the barrel 222 to be stopped against one downwardly extended sidewall of the mounting frame 21.

[0011] The shaft 23 has two ends respectively riveted to a respective through hole 211 on each of the downwardly extended sidewalls of the mounting frame 21. The wheel 25 is pivoted to the wheel holder frame 24. The wheel holder frame 24 comprises two parallel positioning lugs 241 respectively pivoted to the shaft 23. The positioning lugs 241 each have a first retaining notch 2411, a second retaining notch 2412, and a smoothly arched guide edge 2413 connected between the first retaining notch 2411 and the second retaining notch 2412. The torsional spring 231 is mounted on the shaft 23, having one end fixedly fastened to the mounting frame 21 and the other end connected to one lug 241 of the wheel holder frame 24.

[0012] Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, and FIG. 1 again, when the wheel holder assembly 2 is folded up (see FIG. 5), the barrel 222 is maintained engaged with the first retaining notch 2411 of one positioning lug 241 of the wheel holder frame 24, and at this time the torsional spring 231 is twisted. When pressing the press pin 224 with the finger, the barrel 222 is pushed inwards to compress the spring member 223 and disengaged from the first retaining notch 2411 of the corresponding positioning lug 241 of the wheel holder frame 24. Upon disengagement of the barrel 22 from the first retaining notch 2411 of the corresponding positioning lug 241 of the wheel holder frame 24, the torsional spring 231 is released to impart a pressure to the wheel holder frame 24, thereby causing the wheel holder frame 24 to be turned about the shaft 23 from the received (non-operative) position shown in FIG. 5 to the extended (operative) position shown in FIG. 6. When extended out, the press pin 224 is released from the hand, and the spring member 223 immediately pushes the barrel 222 backwards into engagement with the second retaining notch 2412 of the corresponding positioning lug 241 of the wheel holder frame 24, and therefore the wheel holder assembly 2 is locked in the extended (operative) position.

[0013] A prototype of wheel holder assembly for roller skate has been constructed with the features of FIGS. 1˜6. The wheel holder assembly functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.

[0014] Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. 

What the invention claimed is:
 1. A wheel holder assembly installed in one bottom hole of the sole of a shoe and alternatively set between a received position and an extended position, comprising a substantially U-shaped mounting frame invertedly fixedly fastened to the bottom hole of the sole of the shoe, said mounting frame having two downwardly extended parallel sidewalls including a first sidewall and a second sidewall; a shaft connected between the downwardly extended parallel sidewalls of said mounting frame; a wheel holder frame holding a wheel and adapted to be turned about said shaft between said received position and said extended position, said wheel holder frame comprising two parallel positioning lugs respectively pivoted to said shaft, said positioning lugs each having a first retaining notch, a second retaining notch, and a smoothly arched guide edge connected between said first retaining notch and said second retaining notch; a torsional spring mounted on said shaft and connected between said mounting frame and said wheel holder frame and adapted to support said wheel holder frame in said extended position; and a locking device installed in said mounting frame and adapted to lock said wheel holder frame in one of said received position and said extended position, said locking device comprising a rod member, said rod member having a fixed end riveted to the first sidewall of said mounting frame and a free end, a barrel axially movably sleeved onto the free end of said rod member and adapted to engage one of the first retaining notch and second retaining notch of one of said positioning lugs of said wheel holder frame to further lock said wheel holder frame in one of said received position and said extended position, a spring member mounted on said rod member to force said barrel into engagement with one of the first retaining notch and second retaining notch of one of said positioning lugs of said wheel holder frame, and a press pin pivoted to a pivot hole on the second sidewall of said mounting frame and fixedly connected to one end of said barrel for pressing by the user to move said barrel axially relative to said rod member against said spring member and to disengage said barrel from the positioning lugs of said wheel holder frame for enabling said wheel holder frame to be turned about said shaft between said received position and said extended position. 